Dan summed it up last night when he said that Day 2 might have been the longest day but Day 4 would be the hardest day. The day kicked off instantly with 3 gnarly climbs! Spectacular start to the day in Franz Josef, snow on the nearby mountains but sunny which was what we needed after yesterdays drenching.

The day kicked off with a couple of neutral climbs to get us out of Franz Josef and on our way, then the first of 3 KOM climbs for the day. Chris McDonald took the points for A grade, Clint won B grade mens, Rachel B grade ladies, Martin Brown and Karin Aitken took all the points in C grade.

Racing stage through to the lunch stop had 2 sprints, one at 41.2km and one at the finish, not sure everyone read the race brief properly as I heard that some sprinters just rolled the finish??? Russell H-K and Garry Pierce took the sprint points for A grade. Crunchie Donaldson and Clint Atkins took the points for B grade men with Rachel Larner taking both sets of points for the ladies. C grade ladies had a change for sprint honours today with the pink ladies out of the mix and Sam Miezio taking the first sprint and Jo Donaldson taking the second one. C grade men went to Paul Carr and Martin Brown.

End of stage was at Bruce Bay, amazing little spot on the coast if you are ever down that way. Ra, our awesome timing guy from Active Timing even went for a quick dip in the sea while waiting for the riders to come in to the finish.

Post lunch it was all on for a race to the finish, complete with a surprise sprint thrown in, some riders learnt that it pays to read the race info, there was warning that there would be some surprises on tour.

Winners of the surprise sprint were David McDonald, Martin Fletcher, Rachel Larner, Martin Brown and Karin Aitken. Good work on that sprint guys! Next up just to put the hurt on was the double KOM! There are some brutal hills on the road between Franz Josef and Haast. KOM points went to Chris McDonald in A grade, Clint Atkins in B grade mens, Rachel Larner for B grade women, Stuart Mossman for C grade men and Karin Aitkin for C grade women. Huge ups to the C grade men, after the climbs they waited for the ladies. They are likely regretting that now, the Pink Ladies engineered a natural break then headed off while some riders were still getting ready to roll again. Nature was the winner on the day though with the headwind getting the best of the ladies on the ride into Haast which was into a brutal headwind! Lots of tired riders as they were all spread down the road mainly battling the winds on their own.

Beautiful part of the country down here, some absolutely staggering views in this part of the country. Life is a little different in Haast though, they aren’t on the national grid for electricity and there is no cellphone reception at all. Crazy times!

We are pleased to announce we have a new major sponsor on board for the Southern Alps Tour. The Helicopter Line will be a great asset and I’m sure will heighten your experience of the Southern Alps Tour, we feel that this is the perfect complement to this already 5 star tour, the Helicopter Line offers flights of a lifetime through the most amazing parts of the South Island.

A special bonus will be that all the non-riding companions will all have the opportunity to see the stunning Southern Alps up close and personal. We will be putting you on a fantastic adventure flight where you will have the experience of Traversing the Southern Alps, taking in the sights of Franz Josef, Fox and Tasman Glaciers, as well as a breathtaking snow landing.

The guys at Helicopter Line have offered the Southern Alps Tour riders some great discounts on their flights and tours, so if you are intending to hang out in the beautiful Queenstown Lakes district, I’m sure you can picture yourself doing some of the following…

Fly with The Helicopter Line to discover why the views are best from above! From the iconic locations of Queenstown, Mount Cook and Twizel, – The Helicopter Line can take you on a scenic flight to discover New Zealand’s National Parks, glaciers, mountains and lakes.

If you cannot join the elite few who make it to the top of the Aoraki/Mount Cook on foot, the next best way is by helicopter. The Helicopter Line offers a range of flights that expose the magnificent views of the pristine alpine environment. Traverse the Southern Alps soaring peaks to breath-taking views of Fox and Franz Josef glaciers, Aoraki/Mount Cook and Tasman Glacier. All flights include a special snow landing and are available from Mount Cook and Twizel.